Sony Ericsson, Samsung could be readying high-end Android phones

Could higher-end Android phones — complete with 8 megapixel cameras — finally be on their way to the US? Possibilities seem to be unfolding from manufacturers that include Sony Ericsson and Samsung.

When Sony Ericsson joined the Open Handset Alliance earlier this week, a Europe-based company spokesperson was quoted in Swedish-based IDG.se as saying that Sony Ericsson’s first Android phone is expected to hit the market this summer, and that the joint venture will initially focus on the higher end.

Lo and behold, also this week, the FCC gave approval to Sony Ericsson’s C905, a 3G model with high-end features that include an 8 megapixel camera with xenon flash, GPS, and the ability to upload files to a Sony PS3 gaming console — or any other DLNA-compatible device — via Wi-Fi.

The C905 also supports the 850 MHz and 1900 MHz bandwidths used by both AT&T and T-Mobile, for example, for 3G in North America. Could Sony Ericsson be aiming this phone — or something similar — at Android?

On Monday, an AT&T spokesperson told BetaNews that although AT&T is a strong backer of Android rival Symbian, AT&T won’t rule out supporting Android.

“What we’ve been saying all along is that if it makes sense for our customers, we will certainly offer an Android device,” spokesperson Mark Siegel said on Monday.

Meanwhile, reports are surfacing from the blogosphere that a high-end Samsung phone — also with an 8 megapixel camera– is on its way to T-Mobile, the carrier that introduced the world’s first Android phone this fall with the US rollout of HTC’s G1.

As the rumor mill has it, Samsung’s touchscreen phone looks likely to be called the Memoir, and its camera will feature autofocus, built-in flash, optical zoom, and video recording. Other capabilities of the phone expected but not yet confirmed include 3G data network access, GPS, and stereo Bluetooth.

T-Mobile has made it no secret, anyway, that HTC’s G1 won’t be its only Android phone. HTC, by the way, is not a stranger to Sony Ericsson, either, since the Korean company also happens to manufacture Sony Ericsson’s Xperia.